Kisu
by Tsubasa8
Summary: KagomeSango Sango muses over how her relationship with Miroku hasn't been very intimate. Who shows up but her friend Kagome to help her out in a way... shoujoai [FINISHED!] [ADDITION TO CH.5]
1. Chapter 1

Me: Hey, everyone and anyone who's even taking a look at this! It feels good to get even a few reviews for any of my KagomeSango stories, because I know most people are Inuyasha/Kagome and Miroku/Sango fans (including myself!) Thanks a bunch to my reviewers Katzztar, Star of Heaven, Deadly Teardrops, skittles0765, and Fwoggie!  
  
Disclaimer: "Inuyasha" is property of Rumiko Takahashi (the highest taxed manga-ka in Japan!), Sunrise, Viz, and all those other people who bring this series to us!

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Kisu (Kiss)  
  
Sango was sitting by the riverbed, her Hiraikotsu lying by her side. She often liked sitting near the flowing body of water. The sound it made as it traveled downwards served to calm her, helping her mind to think more clearly. A while ago Miroku had proposed to her, and she gladly accepted. Maybe she was overreacting a bit when she agreed to have as many children as he wanted though. He didn't even promise never to cheat on her. What kind of fiancé does that? She sighed. Well nevertheless, she was in love with him, and she believed in him – sort of.  
  
It had been a while since then though, and now Sango was just thinking of something as she watched the water move across the pebbled bottom. She had never actually been intimate with Miroku. Of course, there were the times when she would lean against him, or he would be perverted and try to cop a feel against her will (if that counts), but they had never actually done anything like... kissed. Sango slightly blushed at her thought of kissing Miroku. In an attempt to calm herself, she brought her knees up and placed her forehead on them. 'What am I thinking?' she thought to herself. The sound of approaching footsteps in her direction broke her from her thoughts.  
  
"Sango-chan!" Sango turned around to see her friend from the future jog towards her.  
  
"Oh, Kagome-chan." Sango watched as Kagome took a seat down next to her on the grass.  
  
'What, were you hoping it was Houshi-sama?'  
  
'No! Stupid mind...'  
  
"Augh, I can't believe I'm arguing with myself..." Sango whined.  
  
"What did you say?"  
  
"Uh – nothing Kagome-chan!" Sango turned to face her. Kagome just looked back at her with uncertainty.  
  
"Oh... well..."  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"It's just that you didn't look too well from where I was. Is something wrong?"  
  
"Oh, no. I was just thinking. That's all."  
  
"Really?" Sango nodded in response. "Well... can I ask what about?"  
  
"Eh? Um..." Sango wasn't really sure if she should tell her. She felt too embarrassed to say that she was thinking about kissing Miroku. On the other hand, she was practically her best friend. Maybe she would just talk around it. "Well... Kagome-chan..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"You've... kissed Inuyasha before, am I right?"  
  
"W-what?"  
  
"Well, haven't you?"  
  
Kagome's face started turning red. "I – er – I mean – "  
  
Sango smiled. "It's alright, you don't have to say it. It's written all over your face." Kagome slumped down in her seat.  
  
"Gosh, Sango-chan. What did you ask that for?" Kagome placed a hand against her heated face.  
  
"Well... I wanted to ask you... what it's like," she replied.  
  
"You mean... to kiss?"  
  
A slight blush went across Sango's face. "Y-yes..." Kagome just blinked at her, until sudden realization dawned upon the girl.  
  
"Oh, I get it! You want to kiss Miro – mumph!" Sango cupped a hand over Kagome's mouth before she could finish.  
  
"Kagome-chan! Not so loud!" Sango warned her in panic.  
  
"Sorry," Kagome laughed lightly. "So you really want to kiss him?" she asked with excitement.  
  
"Well, not exactly." Sango sat back on the ground. "I was just thinking about how we're... kind of engaged and all," she slightly blushed at that comment. "But we're never really... close... if you know what I mean."  
  
Kagome thought for a moment. "Are you comparing your relationship with Miroku-sama to the one Inuyasha and I have?"  
  
"Well..."  
  
"Don't do that. Our relationships are different. All relationships are. You just have to figure out how yours works."  
  
Sango stared at Kagome. "You sound pretty well versed in this sort of matter."  
  
"Oh, well... I've just heard a lot of things," Kagome laughed.  
  
Sango focused her gaze back on the waterbed. "I don't know... maybe I'm just afraid."  
  
"Of what?" Kagome tried to get a better understanding of what she meant.  
  
Sango sighed dejectedly. "I'm not sure myself. Maybe just that... I'll be bad at it."  
  
Kagome smiled sympathetically. "Don't worry about something like that. When it happens, it'll happen." She placed a comforting hand on Sango's shoulder. Sango didn't say anything in response, so Kagome just assumed that she was mulling it over. Kagome sighed with aggravation. "If you're really so worried about it though..." Sango shifted her gaze to look at Kagome. "I hear that some people practice by doing it on their hand or arm." Sango looked down at her own aforementioned body parts.  
  
"That sounds too odd of a thing to do. I couldn't imagine myself doing something like that." She paused. "Besides, a hand and an arm are totally different from a person's lips," she said in a depressed tone. Kagome took a moment to think again in silence.  
  
"Well... I suppose that..." she hesitated for a moment. 'I can't believe that I'm even considering suggesting this.' "I could practice with you instead."  
  
This fully grabbed Sango's attention. She looked up at Kagome as if she were out of her mind. "What!?"  
  
Kagome turned away from her friend's gaze, aghast at herself by what she had just uttered. "I-I'm sorry! I don't know why I just said that." She was pink with embarrassment. 'I'm so stupid! I'd better leave...' She had just motioned that she was about to depart, when...  
  
"Wait."  
  
"Eh?" Kagome turned back to look at Sango. She seemed to actually be contemplating what she had just proposed.  
  
"It'll..." Sango blushed. "Just be a practice kiss... right?"  
  
"Um... yeah..." This time it was Kagome's turn to blush.  
  
Sango gulped. "A-alright then."  
  
"Are you sure?" Kagome affirmed Sango's approval.  
  
The two girls shifted to face one another, both quite nervous about what they were about to do. Kagome slowly closed her eyes and leaned towards Sango, whom followed her friend's actions.  
  
'If this is just for practice, then why is my heart beating so fast?'  
  
'Oh, I don't know - maybe because you're about to do it with a friend who's the same gender as you!?'  
  
Sango had just stopped moving before anything could occur, but Kagome had already closed the gap between them. The tender sensation of her lips on her own was something new to Sango. It caused her to forget about dropping the whole idea, and instead melt into the warm atmosphere the kiss created. Kagome's soft lips gently massaged hers, and Sango responded to them. It felt nice, even if it was just a practice kiss. Sango jerked out of her reverie however, when she felt what seemed to be arms come around her neck.  
  
"Kagome-chan?" Sango said as she pulled away. Kagome looked as if she had a dreamy look in her eyes, but it immediately went away as she realized what had just happened. She quickly retracted her arms away from Sango, her face flushed a bright red.  
  
"I-I'm so sorry, Sango-chan!" She avoided eye contact with the taiji- ya. "I-I guess I just got carried away with myself." 'Idiot!' she mentally scolded herself. 'I knew it was a bad, not to mention stupid idea. I never should have said anything.'  
  
"Um... it's okay. Really," Sango assured her, though she thought Kagome's actions were sort of peculiar. It was kind of a shock which bewildered her beyond belief. A silence hung in the air, neither one not sure what to say to the other. Kagome finally broke the stillness, with something Sango would never have expected.  
  
"You know..." she wavered. Sango glanced at her. "I think that kiss... was actually... better than the one with Inuyasha." Kagome bowed her head in discomfort, not daring to look at Sango.  
  
Sango thought a boulder had fallen on her head. At least, that would explain why her thoughts were all of a sudden being jumbled up in her mind, going by at about 500km an hour. She was so confused, and didn't know at all what to say, or even how to respond to Kagome's comment. She finally managed to say, "W-what?" Kagome just chuckled to herself dully.  
  
Still not looking at her, she said, "I told you you had nothing to worry about." She picked herself up from off the grass she was sitting on. "I'm going to head back to the others," she added while patting the bottom of her skirt. "Are you coming?"  
  
"Um... not just yet. I think I'll stay here just a little while longer," Sango replied, going back to the stream in front of her.  
  
"Alright then." Kagome started walking off in the direction she had come from, a melancholy look on her face. Sango watched her leave from the corner of her eye, until she lost sight of her. She laid herself down onto the grass, letting out a sigh from her built up tension.  
  
"What was that just now?" Sango closed her eyes and placed a hand over her forehead, while the other rested on her torso. "Maybe that wasn't such a good idea after all..." she mused. Opening her eyes, she slowly moved her hand down her face so that the fingertips lightly touched her lips. "Or was it?"

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Me: Whew! Well that was the end of that. What do you think? I know the plot is kind of lame and stuff, but it just came to me one day when I was watching this show on TV. I think this'll be another one-shot fic. If I think of anything, I may continue a bit more. Anyways, feel free to review, but no flames thanks.


	2. Chapter 2

Me: Omigosh, a second chapter!? How absurd! I really wasn't thinking of writing another chapter, but then here we are. It'll probably take a while for other chapters to come out though, because I'm not sure exactly what to write and don't want to rush things (or waste ideas). Anyways, thanks a lot to Matorif, Alcandre, Vilja, and CrimsonMoonInTheSky for supporting/helping me along! To raziel-009, I guess I should have mentioned that this fic has more shoujo-ai elements than my other ones. Sorry about that.   
  
Yes, just to make it clearer, I've decided to make this a shoujo-ai type fanfiction, yet am still undecided as to if I should end it that way, or with the canon couplings. If you want to help me decide, go ahead!  
  
Disclaimer: "Inuyasha" is property of Rumiko Takahashi, Sunrise, Viz, and all those other people who bring this series to us!

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Kisu (Kiss) Chapter 2  
  
Trudging her way across the soil, Sango made her way back to the others at the campsite. When she got there, Kirara came bounding up into her arms, crying "mews" of affection for her owner. Sango returned the gesture, petting Kirara in her arms.  
  
"Sango!" The girl looked up to see a small fox demon waving at her to come over. "The food's ready! Come and eat!" Shippo shouted with a wide grin on his face. His hands were already around his own bowl of food. Sango smiled at him and continued her path towards the others.  
  
Inuyasha sat on one side of the fire which heated the kettle hanging with its roaring flames. Kagome was next to him, peeling back the cover of one of the bowls of ramen. Sango decided to sit next to Miroku, who held his hand out as she prepared to sit down. Beforehand though, she swung Hiraikotsu off her shoulder, hitting him in the forehead. This effectively caused him to withdraw his anxious hand to attend to the bump on his head. The others eyed him with disapproval. Sango finally sat down, letting Kirara bound away from her to Shippo. Miroku smiled with remorse at her, but Sango just glared at him from the corner of her eye.  
  
"Here, Miroku-sama." Kagome pushed a bowl of ramen over to the lecherous monk.  
  
"Thank you, Kagome-sama," Miroku picked it up and gave his thanks politely to the girl.  
  
"You're welcome," she smiled. Kagome proceeded to tear off the cover of another bowl of ramen, tossing it into her litter bag. She took out a pair of chopsticks from another, placing them carefully across the bowl. She held out the food to Sango without saying a word.  
  
"Oh - thank you, Kagome-chan," Sango said as she reached out for the bowl. As she took it into her own hands, they came into contact with Kagome's. Kagome flinched and pulled her hands away as soon as Sango had taken the ramen. Sango blinked at Kagome, confused as to why she had just done that.  
  
Kagome meanwhile had thoughts rolling around furiously in her mind. It was hard to concentrate with these ideas in her head, and began to worry if someone might notice. She stole a glance at Sango, who seemed to be absorbed in her food. Kagome began to feel weird as she looked at her friend, like there was a slight tingling sensation in her stomach. She looked away before the sensation could intensify, distracting herself by drawing back the cover on her own bowl of ramen. She picked up her chopsticks and began stirring the noodles around, thinking to herself absentmindedly.  
  
'What's wrong with me? Why am I feeling so out-of-place around Sango- chan all of a sudden?' She attempted to bring up some of the ramen to her mouth. 'Is it because of that kiss?' Kagome began sucking in the stands of noodles through her utensils. 'Mmm...!' she groaned inwardly. 'This is so uncomforting. I'm feeling really confused right now, but I don't know what to do. Maybe I should...' she glanced over at Inuyasha. '...try something out...'  
  
"Inuyasha?"  
  
"Hrm?" the hanyou looked up from his bowl of ramen, noodles hanging out of his mouth as he did so.  
  
"Um..." Kagome sweat dropped. "Can I talk to you over there for a minute?" She pointed over to a patch of private greenery away from their site.  
  
"Eh? What for?" he furrowed his eyebrows with suspicion.  
  
"Please?" she begged like a child for a much sought after toy.  
  
"Okay, okay..." he finally agreed, placing his bowl on the ground. He followed Kagome as she led the way to where she wanted to talk with him.  
  
"I wonder what Kagome wants to talk to Inuyasha about," Shippo wondered out loud.  
  
"Hm... I don't know..." Miroku trailed off in thought. "Maybe she's going to tell him that she's pregnant."  
  
"Spurrrfffftttt!" Sango choked on the ramen she was in the process of eating. "What!?" She had a livid look on her face as she turned on Miroku.  
  
"Heh, heh - It was just a suggestion," the monk cowered back at the sight of the taji-ya. 'How scary...'  
  
"A totally groundless one!" she shouted at him with displeasure. Huffing in annoyance, the girl sat back down to focus on her food.  
  
Miroku sweated off the previous occurrence nervously, when he decided to bring up another topic. "So, speaking of being pregnant..." Miroku reached his hand over to Sango's rear. "When am I getting that child you promised me?"  
  
Sango instantly stabbed him in the arm with her chopsticks, Miroku letting out a yelp of pain. "Not soon if this keeps up," she muttered, though she couldn't help a faint blush from crossing her face.  
  
Shippo all the while sighed at the scene in front of him. "Sometimes I feel like we're the only sane ones, Kirara." Kirara "mewed" in agreement.

- - -   
  
"So what did you want to talk about?" Inuyasha said as Kagome stopped in her tracks.  
  
"Um... Inuyasha...?" Kagome still had her back turned to him as she spoke.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I was just wondering if..." she hesitated.  
  
"If what?"  
  
"If you could... um... just..." she shifted a bit so that she could just about see his face.  
  
Inuyasha started growing impatient. "If you're not going to spit it out, then I'm – "  
  
"Canyoukissme?" Kagome said all at once.  
  
Inuyasha faulted over, as if he had been hit by something in the back of his head. "I-I must not have heard you correctly – what did you say?"  
  
Kagome turned around all the way so that she was face to face with him. "Can you kiss me?" Her face blushed as she asked him.  
  
"WHAT!? What the heck for!?" Inuyasha's face turned a nice shade of red at Kagome's request. "Why are you asking me to do something like that all of a sudden!?"  
  
"Can't you please just do it?"  
  
"N-NO!" Inuyasha absolutely refused to give into her demands.  
  
Kagome screwed her face up with frustration. "Fine! I don't know why I bothered asking you anyways! I should have known that you would be a jerk about it!"  
  
"A jerk!?" He took a step forward and raised his fist in the air. "How does simply wanting to know why you want me to do it make me a jerk?" he retorted.  
  
"It just does!" she shouted back at him. Kagome turned on her heel to begin walking away from him.  
  
"Hey!" he yelled at her. "We're not done talk– "  
  
"Osuwari!"  
  
Inuaysha felt a heavy weight pull his neck down, and he fell face first into the ground. "Grumph - Hey!" Inuyasha lifted his dirt covered face up. "Don't just do that and walk away from me! HEY!"  
  
"What a waste," Kagome mumbled as she started looking for the others. "Oh, well." She sighed dolefully. "So what now?"

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Me: The end of the second chapter! I know it's shorter than the last and not much happened, but bear with me if you wish. Thanks a lot! Oh, and don't forget to review, but no flames! Arigatou!


	3. Chapter 3

Me: Wow, here's the next chapter in record time, probably because I had an idea of what I wanted to write already. This is most likely the longest chapter in the story too. It was my first try at writing an action scene, so I hope it came out okay. Thanks for the review, Tache!  
  
Just a reminder, this fanfiction does contain shoujo-ai stuff in it.  
  
Disclaimer: "Inuyasha" is property of Rumiko Takahashi, Sunrise, Viz, and all those other people who bring this series to us!

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Kisu (Kiss) Chapter 3  
  
It was nightfall, and the stars shone overhead as Inuyasha and the others slept soundly in a cabin they had found. Well, nearly all of them. A certain reincarnation of a Miko we all know was still lying awake – thinking... again. She rolled over onto her side with aggravation.  
  
'Arrrgh... No matter how much I want to stop thinking about it, I just can't. Why?' Kagome brought her right hand over her forehead. 'It can't be because... I have...' she gulped. '...a crush on Sango-chan?' She grinded the palm of her hand against her head. 'No way! I can't believe I even thought that!' She flipped over onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. 'It can't be! I mean, she's a girl, I'm a girl – it wouldn't work! Besides...' she shifted her eyes. 'I have Inuyasha, and she has Miroku.'  
  
Kagome sat up and looked around. Her eyes fell upon Sango's sleeping figure, the firelight illuminating her face enchantingly. She watched her for a while, as if she were mesmerized by the sight of her friend. She crawled over towards her, being careful not to wake the others. 'But... I can't help feeling what I feel.' She laid down next to the sleeping taiji- ya.  
  
Nearby, Miroku cracked an eye open. He had noticed Kagome moving restlessly and opened his eyes a bit to watch her. His mind wondered why she had finally decided to move over next to Sango. Usually she would go near Inuyasha or decide to be by herself. He glanced over at the hanyou, whom he was sure noticed too, regardless of his eyes being shut at the moment. Miroku was startled when Inuyasha snapped his eyes open suddenly.  
  
"Something's coming," he told Miroku. Miroku straightened up with surprise, his brows furrowed. He calmed down, and then sensed it too.  
  
"You're right," Miroku replied as Inuyasha got up. Miroku shook Shippo awake. "Shippo, get up! A youkai's coming!"  
  
"What?" Shippo said groggily, rubbing his eyes. He took a moment to process what Miroku had just said fully, before crying, "Oh no!" He shot up onto his hind legs  
  
Kirara woke up "mewing" near Sango, her fur on end. The noise caused Sango to stir, and she slowly opened her eyes.  
  
"Kirara? What is it? Eh?" Sango looked down to see Kagome sleeping soundly next to her. 'What's Kagome-chan doing over here? Wasn't she sleeping over there?'  
  
"Sango, hurry!" Miroku called out to her. Sango twisted around at the sound of his voice. "The youkai's coming!" With that, he dashed outside after Inuyasha. Sango grit her teeth and stated suiting up for the fight.  
  
"Kagome, wake up!" Shippo shook her. "It's a youkai!" Kagome turned over and sat up sleepily, a dazed expression on her face. "Kagome, a youkai's outside!" Shippo repeated. The word "youkai" opened Kagome's eyes up all the way, and she looked around for Inuyasha.  
  
"Inuyasha?" she said uncertainly.  
  
"He's already outside." Sango picked up her Hiraikotsu off the floor, running towards the door. Kirara ran out with her. Kagome and Shippo followed outside, to see a huge beast looming over them.  
  
To Kagome, it resembled a dragon from fairy tales, what with its large flapping wings, long neck, and lizard-like face. The black dragon- looking youkai had horns protruded from its head, as well as black smoky fangs from its mouth. Its talons gleamed in the moonlight, preparing to rip through anything which got in its way. Most dragons though, didn't usually have poisonous bugs flying around them  
  
"Keh! This'll be an easy one," Inuyasha retorted confidently. "One Kaze no Kizu and it's history!" He raised Tessaiga over his head, preparing to slice through with a devastating blow. "Kaze no – ," but as soon as he had started, the youkai pushed him back with a huge flap of its leathery wings, the wind knocking him off balance. Inuyasha dug Tessaiga into the ground, providing him with something stable to hold on to.  
  
The youkai lunged towards Kagome and Shippo, one of its clawed hands outstretched ready to grab them. They both cringed at the sight, waiting for the impact.  
  
"Keep your claws to yourself!" Inuyasha charged towards them. "Kaze no Kizu!" he shouted, as his attack ran across the ground, headed towards its target. It collided with the youkai, light shining in all directions. "Yes!" Inuyasha cried, but at a second glance, he found that the youkai had flown up to dodge it. "What!?"  
  
"It's fast for something so huge!" Miroku exclaimed, staring up at the oversized reptilian.  
  
"Houshi-sama, get on!" Sango came by on Kirara's back, waiting for him to climb on with her.  
  
"Thank you, Sango." He hopped aboard and Kirara took off towards the youkai, which was flapping its wings ominously.  
  
"Hiraikoutsu!" Sango flung her weapon at the youkai, but it only managed to hit against it when it came back to her. "Hiraikotsu couldn't slice through?"  
  
"It's skin must be very tough to deflect that," Miroku deduced. "Alright, get closer so that I can jump onto it."  
  
"What? Are you crazy?" Sango looked back at him incredulously.  
  
"I'm going to look for a weak spot," he told her, as he prepared for his leap off.  
  
"What!? Wait!" Miroku jumped off at Sango's last words, latching onto the youkai's neck. It roared with rage as Miroku tried to hang on, flailing its large body around in the air. It reeled its neck back as if it were about to spit something out. Kagome saw sparks dance around its mouth, before it let out a stream of fire across the ground. The flames caught onto the cabin they had been in, setting it ablaze.  
  
"Oh, no!" Kagome cried. She set Shippo down on the ground. "Shippo- chan, stay here," she told him, as she made to dash to the fiery cabin.  
  
"Kagome, wait! Where are you going!?" the young kitsune called. Inuyasha looked round at them.  
  
"I have to get the Shikon shards!" she shouted without looking back.  
  
"What?" Inuyasha exclaimed. "Wait! Get back – gragh!" The youkai had flown down and picked up Inuyasha by his head, its talons scratching his neck. "Let go of me you stupid youkai! Augh!" The youkai tightened its grip on Inuyasha, its talons threatening to separate his head from his body.  
  
Up above, Miroku was frantically looking all over for something which may help figure out how to defeat the youkai. With Inuyasha defenseless below, he tried thrusting his staff into its scaly armour to distract it. This just proved to irritate the youkai even more, his body trying to buck Miroku off.  
  
"Hiraikotsu!" Sango threw her bone boomerang at the arm connected to the claw grasping Inuyasha's head. As before though, it had virtually no effect.  
  
"Sango! Forget me!" Inuyasha shouted at her with difficulty. "Go get Kagome!"  
  
"Kagome-chan?" Sango blinked. She glanced down at the ground, searching for the aforementioned girl.  
  
"She ran back into the cabin, but it's on fire!" he gasped. He was having trouble breathing with the youkai's talons closed around his neck. "That was a while ago though!"  
  
Sango took another look down, finding that Kagome was no where to be seen, and that the fire the cabin was caught in was spreading.  
  
"Hurry!" Inuyasha gurgled urgently.  
  
Annoyed with Sango and Kirara flying around, the youkai whipped its tail around to strike them. Unexpectedly, the scales on it rose on end, showing off how razor sharp their edges were. Miroku's eyes widened at this new development.  
  
"Sango, look out!" Miroku hollered. Sango looked up as the tail came whizzing at them. Kirara dove down to avoid it, but it wasn't fast enough as the tail slammed into Sango, knocking her off Kirara. "Sango!" Miroku watched her hurl towards the ground, the impact causing a cloud of dust to rise upwards. When it cleared, he saw her form lying on the ground. He was relieved to see Sango sitting up, at least able to move.  
  
Shippo came sprinting over. "Sango! Are you okay?" He kneeled next to her, worry all over his face. Kirara soon came down to land next to Sango, with growls of concern.  
  
"I'm fine," Sango replied, though her voice strained. Shippo looked aghast at the many gashes cut into Sango as she said that.  
  
"A-are you sure?" he asked nervously, watching as a drip of blood traveled down Sango's cheek.  
  
"It's nothing serious," she assured him, getting up onto her feet.  
  
"Wait! Should you even be moving?" Shippo still fussed over her.  
  
"It's okay," she said, lifting up Hiraikotsu. "Besides, I have to go get Kagome-chan."  
  
Shippo gasped, looking back at the burning inferno. "That's right – she hasn't come out yet!" Tears began to well up in his eyes. "What if she's – "  
  
"Kagome-chan's alright. I know she is. She's strong." Sango began walking over to the cabin. "Kirara, go help the others. Shippo, stay here and keep an eye on them."  
  
Kirara growled somewhat reluctantly, and took to the skies once more.  
  
"R-right." Shippo nodded his head as he watched Sango limp away from him.  
  
Back up above, Miroku was developing a plan in his mind. Spotting Kirara, he decided to follow through with it.  
  
"Kirara!" he motioned for her to come closer. Kirara flew by, Miroku climbing onto her back before the dragon-like youkai could attack them. "Okay, just hover around for a bit near the youkai, just to get it agitated," he instructed. Kirara did as she was told. The youkai roared, infuriated. Just as Miroku had expected, it once again let the scales on its tail stand on end to strike them. Miroku twisted around and thrust his staff at the exposed flesh underneath as it came upon them. The youkai howled in pain, releasing Inuyasha from its grasp.  
  
"Inuyasha!" Miroku shouted as the hanyou began to descend. "Aim the Kaze no Kizu at its tail!"  
  
"Heh, alright!" Inuyasha lifted up Tessaiga over his head. "Kaze no... KIZU!" The attack sliced through like a laser, taking out the entire tail. The damage began to affect the rest of the youkai's body, from the inside out. Soon its entire body had disintegrated into nothing.  
  
Inuyasha landed onto the solid ground, along with Miroku and Kirara.  
  
"Geez, how troublesome!" Inuyasha scowled. "That Naraku really gets on my nerves..."  
  
"Inuyasha! Miroku!" Shippo came running up to them. "Kagome... she made it out of the cabin, but..." he sniffed, "Sango didn't come out with her!" The boys' eyes widened.  
  
- - -  
  
Sango used Hiraikotsu to clear her path when she got to the door, and entered the conflagration. Beams of wood lay strewn across the room, flames flickering all around. The smoke made visualization difficult, so Sango called out to Kagome. "Kagome-chan!" she shouted. "Where are you?" Sango cupped her hands around her mouth. "Kagome-chan!"  
  
"S... Sango... chan..." Sango scarcely heard from over in a corner.  
  
"Kagome-chan!" Sango made her way towards the direction of the voice, pushing away any fallen beams which got in her path. As she got closer, she saw something which looked green in colour. 'It's Kagome-chan's clothes!' "Kagome-chan!" Sango found Kagome huddled in a corner, a handkerchief wrapped around her face. "Kagome-chan, are you okay?" She bent down to make sure she wasn't hurt.  
  
Kagome looked up at her and nodded. "Yes... I'm okay." She got into a fit of coughing before passing out.  
  
"Kagome-chan!" Sango caught her by the shoulders before she fell to the floor. 'I wonder how much smoke she might have inhaled...' Sango took out her poison protection mask and tied it around Kagome, taking the cloth for herself. 'I have to hurry and get out of here.'  
  
Sango heaved Kagome up onto her back, carrying her bag and Hiraikotsu with her. She began to follow the path she had made earlier. As she moved, the heat began to have an effect on the wounds she had received, making them feel feverish. 'Hang on... Kagome-chan...' Sango weaved in between the smoldering planks of wood daring to lick at her legs, sweat dripping down her face.  
  
She was close to the door now. Just then, she heard something creak above her. The cabin was giving way. With the rest of her strength, she tossed Kagome out the door before the roof caved in. Sango blacked out as the weight came down on her.  
  
- - -  
  
"What!?" The boys' eyes were wide.  
  
"She must still be in there somewhere," he sobbed. "But... the roof caved in and..." Shippo trailed of with tears streaming down his face. The others quickly dashed over to the scene, the fire rising ever higher.  
  
"Stand back!" Inuyasha instructed the others. "Kaze no... KIZU!" he swung Tessaiga down, the forceful wind it created putting out the blaze. As soon as it was out, Miroku dashed in to search for Sango with Kirara. Inuyasha slid Tessaiga back into its sheath, as he heard a groan from behind him. He turned whipped around to see Kagome stirring. Shippo came next to her as Inuyasha kneeled down.  
  
"Kagome! Are you okay?" Shippo frantically asked between sniffles. Kagome coughed up a bit. Inuyasha sat her up to lean against him. He loosened the poison protection mask to pull it down from her face.  
  
"Inuyasha..." she looked up at him. "What... what happened?" Kagome had a dazed expression on her face. "Did you defeat the youkai?"  
  
Inuyasha nodded. "Yeah, we did."  
  
"That's good to hear," Kagome replied. She tried to sit up on her own, when she noticed Sango's mask hanging around her neck. "Eh? Why is..."  
  
"Urgh!" The three on the ground looked around at Miroku, carrying an unconscious and soot covered Sango from the burnt wreckage. Kirara followed them.  
  
"Sango-chan..." Kagome murmured. "Sango-chan!" she tried to get up, but her weakened body wouldn't have it so. Miroku walked over to them and laid Sango down, untying Kagome's handkerchief around her face.  
  
"She's alright – she's still breathing," he informed the others, "just unconscious." He looked down at her sympathetically.  
  
Kagome stared at Sango's worn body, from the soot on her face to the cuts on her arm. She clutched the poison protection mask around her neck. "What happened?" She looked at the others, who looked back at her.  
  
"Well... most likely the cuts are from when the youkai hit her with its tail covered in razor-sharp scales," Miroku began informing her.  
  
"Then she had to save you from the fire because the youkai caught me in its stupid claws," Inuyasha grimaced. "If it wasn't for that, this probably could have been avoided." Shippo sniffed.  
  
'If it wasn't for that...' Kagome frowned, '...or if it wasn't for me?'

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Me: Ah, another chapter finished! Sorry for the lame youkai, and the fact that I wasn't exactly sure what condition Kagome and Sango would be in after being in that fire. I was pretty sure they would have needed some kind of resuscitation or whatever, but... oh well? [laughs nervously] Anyways, please review, but no flames (can't you see what they can do to cabins, not to mention "InuYasha" characters' wellbeing?)


	4. Chapter 4

Me: Whoo hoo! Another chapter, and more reviews! I think I'll take the time to address each of them individually.  
  
C-Dog: Wow, thanks! Glad you like it. I'll do my best!  
  
Tache: Thankies, Tache! BTW, do you happen to be the same Tache from "Yabber.Net"?  
  
YuriYaoiHet Ilove'emall: Thanks! Well, there is some more KagSan this chapter, but when you say "maybe you could let a little more happen between them, instead of just one chaste kiss," exactly what are we talking here? Could you help me out? I've got more KagSan up next chapter.  
  
Miroku's Child-bearer: Arigatou! I will! Wow, that's some story. Sorry about grossing out your friend. I agree about your reason for reading slash stories. That's part of why I wrote these KagomeSango-type fanfiction. Glad you found my fic!  
  
Me: Heh heh! Alright, this chapter is pretty long too. That certainly surprised me. I had written more but I decided to split it up into two and keep on writing the next chapter from there. It took longer to write because I had to try and figure out a way to get around the canon couplings. Anyway, onwards!

Disclaimer: "Inuyasha" is property of Rumiko Takahashi, Sunrise, Viz, and all those other people who bring this series to us!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Kisu (Kiss) Chapter 4  
  
The first thing Sango saw when she woke up was the underside of a wooden roof. 'Huh? Where am I?' she thought groggily. Sango heard a "mewing" sound next to her, and saw Kirara watching her eagerly.  
  
"Kirara," she smiled at her faithful companion. She tried to get up, but the pang of pain she felt made her decide it would be better to just lie still instead.  
  
Upon hearing Kirara's "mews," Shippo hurried into the room. "Sango!" he cried, plopping down next to Kirara. "You're awake!" Shippo grinned with a mixture of happiness and relief.  
  
"Yeah," Sango replied, returning the smile with one of her own. "Erm... what happened exactly?" Sango asked with a query expression. "The last thing I remember was throwing Kagome-chan outside when the roof was about to collapse. Then this huge weight hit me hard in the back."  
  
"Mm!" Shippo nodded firmly. "Miroku figured out the youkai's weak spot when it hit you, so it helped him figure out a plan to defeat it. After he got Inuyasha free, he used his Kaze no Kizu on its tail to destroy it!" Shippo said proudly. "After that we went to see how you and Kagome were doing since you were still in the cabin but she was outside. Miroku brought you out after Inuyasha put the flames out with Tessaiga, and Kagome's fine – she woke up before that."  
  
"Hm... well that's good," Sango smiled contently after hearing Shippo's tale.  
  
"Sango-chan!" Sango glanced at the doorway, to see Kagome burst in carrying a basin of water. She spilt some as she came in rather quickly, and slumped down onto the floor next to her, the water sloshing all over the place. "You're awake!"  
  
"Yeah, people seem to be noticing that about me lately," she replied lightheartedly.  
  
"I'll go get the others!" Shippo volunteered enthusiastically. "Come on, Kirara!" Shippo jumped up onto his feet and scampered out with the cat youkai. The girls watched as they headed out the door, now leaving only the two of them behind with each other for company.  
  
Kagome looked down at Sango. "So, how are you feeling?"  
  
"Kind of sore," she answered her, recalling what happened when she had tried to sit up earlier, "especially when I try to move."  
  
"Well, I have to still clean you up, so I'll help you." Kagome gently lifted her up, supporting her with her arms. Sango winced as she slowly got up into a sitting position.  
  
"Where are we, anyways?" she asked, trying to get used to the stinging sensation from her wounds.  
  
"Back in Kaede-obaa-chan's village," Kagome replied, and motioned towards her first aid kit. "I had to go back to get some more supplies." She soaked a towel in the basin of water. Wringing it out, she brought it up to Sango's face.  
  
"Do you know where the guys are?" Sango asked her, trying to make conversation.  
  
"Oh, you know them," she said, wiping away the grime. "Probably doing whatever it is they usually do when we're not looking for the jewel shards or fighting."  
  
"I see..." Sango thought about Miroku doing what it was he usually did – which was usually being "friendly" with the young girls of whatever village they happened to be in. Her eyes narrowed. Right away she wished that her body would recover faster.  
  
"I was really worried when Miroku carried you out of the cabin's remains you know," Kagome said abruptly.  
  
"Oh, it's okay. These scratches are nothing to make a big deal over," Sango assured her kindly.  
  
"They are pretty bad though," Kagome insisted. "And you went into the fire to save me with those injuries," she added more softly. She pushed the towel back into the water.  
  
"Of course I did." Sango thought it was the most obvious thing to do. "I had to get you regardless – you didn't come out for so long and the cabin's fire was spreading! Besides, I wouldn't just leave my best friend in the middle of a fire."  
  
Kagome's body tightened. The words "best friend" somehow made her feel happy, yet sad at the same time. She smiled, but wasn't sure if it was out of contentment. "Your best friend?"  
  
"Yeah," Sango smiled. "I never really had that many friends when I grew up. I was always training or fighting youkai. You're the first really close friend I've ever had. Am I your best friend too?"  
  
Kagome looked at her with her forced grin. "Yeah."  
  
"I'm glad," Sango continued to beam at her.  
  
'But you don't know how much more I like you than that,' Kagome mused dejectedly.  
  
Sango saw her face fall. "Is something wrong?"  
  
"What?" Kagome looked up, startled.  
  
"You looked upset for a second there," Sango said observantly. "You're not still beating yourself up about what happened, are you?"  
  
"No," Kagome replied rather quickly. "I'm just – tired, that's all," she covered up.  
  
"Oh, well... you don't have to stay here for my sake. I'm sure that – "  
  
"No!" Kagome blurted out all of a sudden, surprising Sango. "I mean – I want to. Not because I feel responsible or anything, but because I just want to," she added before Sango could say anything.  
  
"Oh, um... okay," Sango blinked, slightly puzzled at Kagome's outburst.  
  
Kagome bandaged up Sango's arm which she just finished cleaning, thinking about how close she was to her right now. She had taken care of Sango before, but never did she have these thoughts. She rummaged around in her bag for sanitizer, and took out a spray bottle holding it up to a cut on Sango's face.  
  
"This might sting a little," she warned her, preparing to squeeze it.  
  
"Don't worry, I'm – Ack!" Sango winced when Kagome released the spray onto her injury.  
  
"I told you," Kagome chuckled. "Don't touch it." She elevated herself a bit up off the floor onto her knees. "Here," Kagome placed her hands on Sango's head and blew gently against the stinging cut. "Is that better?" She pulled back slightly.  
  
"Yeah..." Sango glanced up at Kagome, who still had her face in her hands. Kagome looked back at her, taking in every delicate feature of her friend, until she had the sense to finally let go of her.  
  
"Erm – I guess I better cover that up now," Kagome whirled around and dug through her first aid kit, a faint blush on her face. She pulled out a piece of gauze and stuck it to Sango's cheek with some tape. "There, that ought to do." She poked at it.  
  
"Hey..." Sango protested, to which Kagome couldn't help but giggle. Sango laughed too, until she let out a small cry of pain and leaned forward, holding onto her torso.  
  
"Sango-chan, are you okay?" Kagome reached out an arm to her, her expression one of concern.  
  
"Y-yeah," Sango answered, getting back up. "You shouldn't make me laugh like that in this condition," she teased.  
  
Kagome laughed again. "Here, let me see. I might have to change your bandages anyway." Sango leaned back a little as Kagome undid the bandages around her abdomen. She slid them off to reveal three long gashes along her stomach. "These look pretty bad." Kagome bent over to take a better look at them.  
  
"It's nothing, I told you that," Sango insisted, looking down at the injuries herself.  
  
"Does it hurt?" Kagome glanced up at her.  
  
"Not now it doesn't."  
  
Kagome went back to examining the cuts in her flesh. She blew on them like she had done with the one on Sango's cheek. "How's that?"  
  
"Chilly," Sango said in a humourous tone.  
  
Kagome briefly pondered to herself for a second before responding. She stretched out a curious hand and nervously placed it on Sango's bare stomach. Sango flinched slightly at her touch.  
  
"S-sorry!" Kagome stammered, lifting her hand off. "Did that hurt?"  
  
"Uh – no... not really," Sango replied, unsure of what to say.  
  
"Can I... put my hand back on?" Kagome lowered her head slightly, her faint blush trying to reappear.  
  
"Uh... I... guess so..." Sango kind of looked away as she said this.  
  
Kagome blinked, unsure if she should really do it. She somehow willed herself to once again carefully set her hand on Sango. Sango didn't move this time, so Kagome gingerly moved her hand around her stomach, taking special care of the cuts. She ran her fingers along Sango's soft skin, enjoying the feeling under her fingertips.  
  
"H-how does it feel?" Kagome asked her nervously. The blush she was trying to keep under control was threatening to reappear again.  
  
Sango thought a bit. "Kind of... tingly... yet relaxing at the same time. Does that make sense?"  
  
Kagome smiled genuinely. She didn't say anything, but merely leaned against Sango's warm body. She made sure not to hurt her as she did so, resting her head near Sango's collar bone and keeping her hand where it was.  
  
"Maybe..." she mused softly, "it's like when you're with someone you really care about... and you feel nervous, but happy to be with them at the same time." She caught sight of a cut she left unattended between Sango's collar bone and chest. Kagome moved her face closer, and kissed it tenderly.  
  
Sango felt a blush cross her face. "K-Kagome-chan?" she stuttered bemusedly.  
  
Kagome sat up slowly, wondering if she really should divulge her feelings. Her heart started beating furiously against her chest. It felt like there was something lodged in her throat. She gulped. "Sango-chan... there's... something I need to tell you..."  
  
"What is it?" Sango blinked at her unsuspectingly.  
  
Kagome's face reddened. She swallowed. "I... I think I..."  
  
'Just spit it out already!' Kagome's conscious rang loudly in her mind.  
  
"I think I – "  
  
"Sango!"  
  
Kagome jumped at the sudden noise and caught her chest, breathing heavily. Her face was still flushed as she looked down at the floor, trying to calm her nerves.  
  
In came Shippo and Kirara with Miroku jogging into the cabin. Inuyasha brought up the rear, walking in at a steady pace with his arms folded.  
  
"Sango, how are you feeling?" Miroku asked as soon as he came in.  
  
"I'm fine, Houshi-sama," Sango answered looking up at him, a bit startled at his sudden entrance.  
  
Kagome suddenly began to feel uncomfortable when she realized what was going on around her. "Er – I think I forgot something back home," she said as she rose from the wooden floor, grabbing her backpack as she did so. Kagome kept her back to the others as she headed out, not looking at any of them. "I'll be back as soon as I can."  
  
Sango kept her eyes on Kagome, wondering why she had just abruptly decided to leave. Only a few seconds ago she was about to tell her something. Miroku glanced over at her as well, only his seemed more of one of concern. Inuyasha furrowed his eyebrows.  
  
Kagome stomped at a rapid pace towards the well which connected the time she was in now to her own. Her mind was racing, stomach queasy. 'I feel horrible.' She soon found herself staring a few meters away from the well, her body quivering. 'Maybe I should just jump back into the well and never return.'  
  
"Where do you think you're going?"  
  
Kagome spun around, coming face to face with someone she wasn't exactly in the mood to see. "Inuyasha!"  
  
He strolled over towards her. "You are planning on coming back, aren't you?"  
  
"O-Of course I was!" she spat at him defensively. "Why wouldn't I be?"  
  
Inuyasha stared at her for a minute, his face contorted into a stern expression. It was like he was trying to examine her, trying to probe at her thoughts. "You'll never solve your problems that way."  
  
Kagome looked taken aback. "Problems?" she echoed. "What problems?"  
  
"Hey, just because I didn't catch on to Miroku and Sango doesn't mean that I haven't caught on to you," he growled.  
  
"What?" Kagome's cheeks reddened. "W-what are you talking about?"  
  
Inuyasha snorted. "Of course, I _did_ talk to Miroku about it, so it didn't all come to me by myself." He cocked his head and looked at the ground, his arms folded the way he usually had them. He glanced up at her. "Do I really have to say it?" He seemed annoyed with her, but also embarrassed about what was on his mind.  
  
Kagome drew back at this, feeling quite uncomfortable herself. 'Does he... _know_?' She wished desperately that something would come out from the well and drag her in with it.  
  
Inuyasha started making uneasy noises in his throat. "You... like Sango." Kagome could just barely make out tinges of pink on Inuyasha's face as he spoke those words.  
  
Something sent a jolt of shock through Kagome's body. She suddenly felt very worried and nervous, thinking for sure this was a dream and that she would awake at any moment. Too bad for her it wasn't.  
  
"W-what?" Kagome's eyes widened, horrified that the other person she had similar feelings for had now found out, and actually said out loud her secret.  
  
"You heard me." Inuyasha turned away from her. "Is it... true?" His voice wavered. Kagome didn't respond, so he took her silence as a "yes." "Humph..." His features showed a smug look on his face, but he felt doleful on the inside.  
  
"How did... you find out?" Kagome said in a small voice.  
  
Inuyasha let out a low sigh. "I thought something was up when you asked me to... kiss you." His face reddened. "I didn't really know what was going on. Then when night came, Miroku and I saw you fidgeting in your sleep. We saw you... get up... and look at Sango. I thought it was weird, but then you really started confusing me when you went to sleep next to her. I figured it was because when you went to check on her during the day, she was getting upset about Kohaku. And of course, you felt sorry for her or something, so that's why..." Inuyasha faltered.  
  
He started turning back around, to actually look at Kagome. Her face fell when she saw him, looking so despondent. "But then..." he hesitated. "When I was talking to Miroku earlier today, he said... he said that... he saw you two kiss." Kagome felt her stomach do a somersault, and she cringed at the feeling. Then surprise struck her.  
  
"H-he did?" Kagome stared incredulously at the hanyou. "B-but he didn't seem like he..." She trailed off, at a loss for words.  
  
"Well, this _is_ Miroku we're talking about," Inuyasha scoffed. "He probably didn't faze much when he saw you two."  
  
"B-but... he's engaged to Sango-chan," she insisted. "How could he not be hurt?"  
  
"I'm sure he is," Inuyasha said bluntly, a hint of aggravation in his voice. Kagome was feeling worse by the second. Inuyasha took the time to add, "I am." Make that millisecond.  
  
Kagome's chest contracted. "Inuyasha..." She tried looking up into his face, his snowy bangs shading those amber eyes of his. Her eyes began to sting.  
  
"Did you... like me?" he averted his gaze away from her.  
  
Kagome did her best to hold back the tears which threatened to overflow. "Yes." Her voice strained. "I still do, but..." she sobbed. "I didn't know if you felt the same way." Silence hung in the air for a moment.  
  
"I do." Inuyasha was beginning to feel emotionally drained.  
  
Kagome wiped some of the tears away on the back of her hand. What was she supposed to do now? Inuyasha finally told her that he reciprocated her feelings towards him, but had now recently found that she was taken in by Sango as well. Should she go with her old feelings, or risk following her new ones? She wasn't even sure how Sango would react. She just continued crying, wishing that this had never happened, that it would all just go away somehow.  
  
She felt arms come around her, pulling her forward into a warm embrace. She opened her eyes to realize that Inuyasha was holding her consolingly. Kagome screwed her eyes shut, burying her face into his red clothing.  
  
"Inuyasha, what do I do?" Her voice came out muffled, partly because of her tears, and partly because she was drying them on his clothes.  
  
Inuyasha rubbed her back, doing his best to try and calm her down. His face was melancholy while Kagome's continued to get tear-stained. He felt sorry for Kagome, even sympathetic. But what should he do? What about his own feelings? Was he just going to try and get over them?  
  
He pushed her back at arms length, trying to make eye contact with her. She rubbed her eyes. They were puffy-looking.  
  
"I think you need to talk to Sango."  
  
Kagome felt her insides flip about. She gazed upwards at Inuyasha. His face seemed so understanding, so comforting, and yet so sad. Kagome felt another twinge of guilt.  
  
"You have to ask her how she feels first before you go and decide anything." He watched her steadily.  
  
'I guess there's no choice," Kagome thought miserably. She nodded, and Inuyasha let go of her so they could walk side-by-side, back to the village.

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Me: If anyone seemed out of character, I'm really sorry about that. I also think that they let go of their canon coupling feelings too easily (including next chapter) and that things may be going a bit fast/rushed. Well, it's not that bad in general. Review onegai, but no flaming.


	5. Chapter 5

Me: Sad to say, this is the last chapter of this little shoujo-ai Kag/San fanfic. I would like to thank all of my lovely reviewers for helping me write this.

[edit] Yes, I fixed the ending so it isn't so abrupt! Yay!  
  
Miroku's Child-bearer: Kyah! Glad you like the Kag/Inu moment! Darn it, I knew I should have taken more care with that scene! Ah, well.  
  
Tache: Yay! Thanks! We didn't really make friends there, but I saw you around the boards.

Disclaimer: "Inuyasha" is property of Rumiko Takahashi, Sunrise, Viz, and all those other people who bring this series to us!

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Kisu (Kiss) Chapter 5  
  
"So are you really okay?" Miroku bent down to take a closer look at Sango.  
  
"Yes, I've been saying this so many times today it seems," Sango replied exasperatedly.  
  
"Shippo!" A young boy from the village poked his head inside. "Shippo, do you want to play with us? We're going by the river to race our boats!"  
  
"Oh, um..." Shippo glanced back.  
  
"I'm okay, Shippo. You go on ahead," Sango smiled at him.  
  
"Are you sure?" Shippo didn't want to seem uncaring about her condition. Sango nodded at him and he smiled. "Okay, I'll be back!" and he ran off out through the door.  
  
Miroku watched him leave, and then turned his attention back to Sango. His eyes fell upon her exposed torso, and the injuries inflicted upon it.  
  
Feeling his gaze on her, Sango tugged the blankets up over her body.  
  
"Kagome-chan was just changing my bandages," she informed him.  
  
"Oh," Miroku looked enlightened. "Well, I'll be glad to carry on from where Kagome-sama left off!" he grinned.  
  
Sango hugged the sheets closer to her body. "I think I'd rather wait for her to come back," she said suspiciously at him.  
  
"Oh..." Miroku seemed greatly disappointed. His gaze shifted up her body. Then his face lit up again. "Well, how about I get started on these?" He motioned towards the bandages around her chest.  
  
Sango quickly drew away from him. "Try to touch me and I'll make Kirara throw you out!"  
  
Miroku shifted his gaze to the demon cat, who growled with loyalty towards Sango. He sweated. "Oh, okay..." he sat back, closing his eyes. "But," he cracked open an eye at Sango, "I thought you wanted to be more intimate with me."  
  
Sango's flustered eyes darted to look at Miroku. "W-what!?" Her face turned red from both embarrassment and anger. "You were spying on us?"  
  
Miroku opened his eyes at once. "No. Actually, I was looking for you two when I just happened to over hear your conversation."  
  
Sango scowled. "So... how long were you there?"  
  
"Up until you two finished your 'practicing'."  
  
Sango's body contracted. If he was there for that long, undoubtedly he saw them... Sango blushed. "Did you..." she hesitated.  
  
Miroku grinned, but it was unlike his usual ones. "I saw everything." Sango got even warmer.  
  
Kirara tilted her head. She "mewed" in bewilderment.  
  
Miroku turned to her. "Kirara, do you mind if Sango and speak alone?" he asked politely.  
  
Kirara stared at him, like she was trying to find out his true intentions. She seemed to understand as she "mewed" agreeably, and went swiftly out the door.  
  
Miroku turned his attention back to Sango. "So how do you feel?"  
  
Sango looked at him. At first she thought he meant her injuries, but he had already asked her that. "About what?" she said in a low tone.  
  
"Kagome-sama."  
  
Sango's nerves stung her. "What?"  
  
Miroku sat back. "Well... have you noticed Kagome-sama acting differently?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Sango uneasily shifted around.  
  
"I meant around you."  
  
Sango kept feeling more uncomfortable. Even though she had a fair idea of what Miroku meant, she didn't say anything in response.  
  
Miroku decided to be more direct. "I think she may have fallen in love with you."  
  
Sango thought her heart had stopped. She slowly looked round at him, her face one of disbelief and shock. "W-what?"  
  
"I thought that might have been your reaction. But what I want to know is," Miroku looked at her sternly, "do you like her back?"  
  
Sango hesitated, but she wasn't sure why. "No! Of course not!"  
  
"Really?" Miroku sounded skeptical as he eyed her scrupulously.  
  
"Yes!" Sango said firmly. "Why would I like my best friend – who's a girl I might add – that way?"  
  
"You tell me."  
  
"Houshi-sama, it's not like that!" Sango flushed. "You're the one I'm engaged to, aren't I?"  
  
"That may be, but am I the one who you truly want to be with?"  
  
Sango was dumbstruck.  
  
Miroku watched her with a steady gaze. "You're the girl I care the most for in the world," he smiled. "But you don't have to worry about me. Your happiness is my happiness. Besides," he said in a more relaxed tone, "there'll be plenty of other girls I can have bear my child."  
  
Sango's expression didn't change at all. She looked like she was either going to be sick, or burst out in tears at any moment.  
  
Miroku was sympathetic. "I don't want you to try and use any feelings you may have for me as a barricade to hide any you may have for Kagome- sama."  
  
The sound of someone approaching the cabin made them draw their conversation to a close. Kagome appeared by the doorway, stepping in slowly.  
  
"Um... I'm back," she announced timidly. Miroku smiled at her and got up.  
  
"I guess I'll go keep Inuyasha company then," he said as dusted himself off. "You'd better get back to taking care of Sango, Kagome-sama. She seems to be reluctant to let me do the job." He gave Kagome a knowing glance as he walked by her. Kagome in turn tried to show Miroku how apologetic she felt. He must have gotten the message because he grinned at her with a wink.  
  
As soon as the two of them were alone together, the air seemed to tense around them. Kagome put her bag on the floor and sat next to it nervously.  
  
Sango decided to break the ice first. "So... did you find what you forgot back home?"  
  
Kagome kept her eyes glued to the floor. "Um... yeah..." Her stomach squelched at the thought of lying to her friend – a friend for whom she had stronger feelings for. She fiddled with her fingers in her lap uneasily. She felt Sango watching her stupidity, and decided it would be best to do something constructive. "Um... I guess I better wrap your stomach back up." She searched around in her bag for fresh bandages.  
  
Sango pushed back her covers obligingly. "Hey," she paused. "What was it you were going to tell me before?"  
  
Kagome froze. Of course she had expected that she would be telling Sango her feelings as soon as she got back, but... so soon? Sango was really putting her on the spot now. 'Well, I guess this is it." She shifted to face Sango, gripping the roll of bandages in her fist for support.  
  
"Sango-chan, I..." her heartbeat grew rapid. "I think I... I think... I like you!" she blurted out at once. Her eyes darted back down. "I mean... as more than just a friend," she clarified. "I might even be in love with you, but I don't know for sure." The heat crept up into her face.   
"Because, I still have some feelings for Inuyasha, but then... but then..." She clenched her fists. She didn't want to cry anymore. The air was filled with silence again. Until...  
  
"Do you... want to know for sure?"  
  
Kagome looked up. Sango was watching her from the side shyly.  
  
"Eh?" Kagome said hesitantly.  
  
"I mean... if you really do like me..." Sango blushed, "as more than just a friend." Kagome didn't respond. She was still trying to process Sango's words – trying to believe that they were real. Sango looked down at her covers. "I was thinking about it too... actually. After what we did by the river, I thought for a second that I had grown infatuated with you too. But I dismissed it as nothing more than feeling guilty about what we did. Now though..." She glanced at Kagome, "I'm not so sure."  
  
Kagome blinked. "But... what about Miroku-sama?"  
  
Sango smirked. "Like you, I still have some lingering feelings. He was the first person I ever fell in love with after all. But we talked about it and... he says it's okay." Now the tears threatened to run over Sango's face.  
  
"Sango-chan..." Kagome dropped the bandages in her hand. She threw her arms around the girl in front of her. "I'm sorry..."

- - -  
  
He stared up at the tree. The tree which his beloved Kikyo had pinned him down too, because she thought he had betrayed her. This was the same tree where he had his first encounter with Kagome – the tree which transcends time. He sighed heavily. "I think I lost another one."  
  
"You too?"  
  
Inuyasha's eyes snapped open. He spun around at the source of the voice. It was Miroku. He approached him calmly, looking up at the tree like Inuyasha had done before.  
  
"Well, maybe not another one..." he dropped his gaze to Inuyasha. "It's my first."  
  
Inuyasha looked back at him with an unchanged expression. He sighed again and sat on the grass by the tree, folding his arms. Miroku sat with him on one of the uprooted tree roots.  
  
"So how does it feel?" Inuyasha said after a while.  
  
"Hm?" Miroku stared down at him.  
  
"To lose someone you care about."  
  
Miroku gazed longingly up at the clear blue sky. "Well, you know."  
  
Inuyasha paused, then glanced up at the impression Kikyo's arrow had left on the tree. "Yeah..."

- - -  
  
"I'm back!" Kagome walked back into the cabin, carrying in the basin full of fresh water. She set it down and promptly began swirling the towel around in it. Sango watched her with interest as she wrung it out and patted it around her wounds.  
  
"Ah!" she shouted. "That's cold!" She rubbed the spot where Kagome had just put the towel against her skin.  
  
"Sorry, I can't help it," Kagome giggled. "Here, I'll start replacing these bandages." She undid the pin which was holding the bandages around Sango's chest, which loosened about her. Sango brought her hands up to prevent exposing herself.  
  
A knock came at the door. It was Kikyo's now aged younger sister, Kaede. "I've brought some food in case you were hungry." She entered the room, carrying a tray of stew.  
  
"Thank you, Kaede-obaa-chan," Kagome replied gratefully with a grin.  
  
"I'll just leave it here." She placed it on the floor next to Kagome. When she got back up, she glanced at Kagome and Sango oddly before adding, "If you want anymore just ask."  
  
"Thank you," Sango said this time.  
  
Kaede nodded her head before turning around to leave.  
  
'She can't know either, can she?' Kagome's face paled.  
  
The breeze from outside wafted the smell of the hot food all around them. It was a pleasant scent, which began making them soon feel hungry.  
  
"Do you want some now?" Kagome looked over at Sango.  
  
"Oh, um... sure," Sango said, slightly taken aback. Kagome picked up one of the bowls off the tray. Sango expected her to hand the bowl to her, but instead she picked up the chopsticks to use them to take a piece of meat from the bowl. She held it out to Sango's mouth. Sango did a double take. "Er... It's okay, I'm well enough to feed myself." She reached out to take the bowl but Kagome pulled it back.  
  
"Humour me," she tilted her head to the side and smiled.  
  
Sango blinked at her, and then sighed with defeat. She opened her mouth and Kagome popped in the piece of beef, feeling Sango close her mouth on the chopsticks and slide her lips off.  
  
"How is it?" Kagome asked her politely.  
  
Sango swallowed. "Quite good." Kagome smiled and put the bowl near her mouth so she could sip out of it. Sango did so, and then Kagome picked up a potato this time. She fed it to Sango in the same manner as the piece of beef. She watched her munch on it slowly, and then began to think.  
  
"Ney, Sango-chan?"  
  
"Hrm?" Sango murmured while she chewed.  
  
"Remember when you said that you were afraid of getting close to Miroku?"  
  
Sango swallowed again, looking at her dubiously. "Yes..."  
  
"Well..." Kagome lowered the bowl of stew. "What about me?" she blushed.  
  
Sango looked flustered. "Er... well..." Sango shifted her gaze to the side. "Well... I've already kissed you, so..." Sango's cheeks turned red. "I guess I'm okay with it."  
  
Kagome grinned at her teasingly, her face still warm. "And I told you that it was good, right?" Sango slouched embarrassedly. Kagome smiled and placed the bowl in her hands down. "Ney, Sango-chan..." she straddled over Sango into her lap.  
  
"Eh – K-Kagome-chan?" Sango stuttered out nervously.  
  
Kagome touched her forehead to Sango's. "You really need to get over this fear of yours." The pace of her heartbeat quickened as she brushed her lips against Sango's tenderly. Sango's eyes widened with surprise. Kagome pulled back and licked her lips. "You're right – that stew does taste good." Kagome bent down for another serving.  
  
"K-Kagome-chan, wait a minute!" Sango felt her bandages beginning to slide down her chest.  
  
As fearful as she was, Kagome wanted to press on. She leaned forward into another kiss, bringing her left hand up to push Sango's bandages back, rubbing against her chest. Sango whimpered, and was forced to lean up against the wall with Kagome's impending weight. Kagome moved her right hand around Sango to rest at the small of her back, stroking the spot soothingly. Sango involuntarily moaned as a result, surprising both herself and Kagome.  
  
"Oh! Is this going to be happening on a regular basis?"  
  
Kagome's eyes snapped open, and she hastily pulled back upon hearing the intruder's voice. Sango however, pulled her back down just as quickly to hide herself.  
  
Of course, when they looked at the doorway, who else was it but Miroku, eyeing them with enthrallment. "If it is, I think I could really get used to this."  
  
The two girls' eyes boggled at him.  
  
"MIROKU-SAMA, YOU REALLY ARE A PERVERT!"  
"HOUSHI-SAMA, YOU REALLY ARE A PERVERT!"  
  
Inuyasha was close behind him, a questioning eyebrow raised at them.  
  
"Inuyasha, you too!?" Kagome glared at him with flustered eyes.  
  
"Ehh!?" Inuyasha looked back at her incredulously. "You two shouldn't be doing stuff like that when other people can easily walk in, in the first place!" he spat with annoyance.  
  
"Oh, don't mind Inuyasha!" Miroku waved a hand in the hanyou's face. "Please, continue!"  
  
"Eh? What's going on?" Shippo's voice rang out. The others' went rigid at his voice.  
  
"SHIPPO-CHAN, DON'T COME IN!"  
"SHIPPO, DON'T GO IN!"  
  
- - -  
  
"Ugh, this whole ordeal has made me feel so exhausted!" Kagome slumped down next to Sango. The group had just finished the grueling task of explaining what was going on to Shippo. "I just want to fall asleep..." Kagome leaned her head on Sango's shoulder.  
  
Miroku's eyes glimmered. "I have a suggestion, Kagome-sama! Why don't you use Sango's chest as a pillow to fall asleep on? Personally, I – " Miroku was interrupted in the midst of his fantasizing, by a bottle being flung at his forehead.  
  
"Houshi-sama..." Sango growled through grit teeth.  
  
"Maybe some other time," Kagome said sleepily. At this, Miroku lit up and Sango faltered. "I just want to take a short nap for now..." Kagome kicked off her shoes and slipped under the covers with Sango.  
  
"K-Kagome-chan?" Sango stuttered while Miroku continued to watch with enthrallment.  
  
"If you're still up, wake me in about an hour, San-chan." Kagome motioned lazily over her watch.  
  
A pause...  
  
"SAN-CHAN!?" The boys repeated in shocked bewilderment. Sango blinked at Kagome, who was now resting peacefully next to her.  
  
"Er..." Sango slowly turned around to face the others, a touch of pink on her face.  
  
"She must be delusional from fatigue," Inuyasha mumbled.  
  
"Maybe..." Shippo replied.  
  
Miroku leaned forward. "Well?" He looked at Sango earnestly.  
  
She just stared back at him. "Well, what?"  
  
"Aren't you going to snuggle up next to her?"  
  
Sango's blank face contorted into a fierce expression. "Who do you think I am!? You!?" she hissed, trying not to wake Kagome.  
  
"But isn't snuggling up together what couples do?" Miroku asked her innocently.  
  
The taiji-ya was at a loss for words as heat crept up her face. Miroku grinned at her appearance.  
  
"Alright, you – I think I'd better take you outside to cool off." Inuyasha grabbed Miroku by the collar, and proceeded to drag him out the door.  
  
"Huh? Hey, wait! Inuyasha, you'll make us miss another great moment, here!" Miroku complained as he flailed about. "Hey, wait!!" Shippo sighed as he followed them outside.  
  
Sango watched them leave, Miroku's cries of protest becoming more and more faint as the distance between them grew. Kirara walked up next to Sango and "mewed" questionably.  
  
"It's alright – you can stay." Sango smiled down at Kirara and petted her kindly. Kirara "mewed" again, and then lied down next to her.  
  
Sango glanced over at Kagome, who was sleeping with her back facing her. She sighed, a bit wary about sharing the same bed with someone, even if it was just Kagome. Sango slid under the covers next to her, staring up at the ceiling. Quite unexpectedly, Kagome turned over and slinked an arm around Sango, startling her.  
  
'Is she still asleep?' Sango thought to herself nervously.  
  
Kagome pulled herself up, resting her head on Sango's bandaged chest. "Miroku-sama actually made a good suggestion..." Kagome said softly. She hugged her body closer to Sango's.  
  
Kagome's actions of affection still made Sango a bit uneasy – she wasn't used to this kind of attention from someone who loved her. Still, it was endearing, and Sango couldn't help but be taken in by Kagome's warmth. She freed her inside arm, laying it across Kagome's back. Kagome snuggled up closer in response.  
  
Together, the two girls dozed off, each in the other's warm embrace.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Me: Now,_ that's_ a better ending.

Don't tell me, I think I did more OOC-ness here. I especially think that Kagome came off as too pushy towards Sango [eh heh heh]. Maybe that was something more like I could have put in "Sake Situation." Well, that was more Kag/San action for anyone interested.

Thank you readers! Please take the time to leave at least one more review!


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